Chapter 85
Chapter 85
[Is everyone logged in?]
[I think the notifications are still going out.]
It was simply a broadcast delay, but the TeSTAR members, inexperienced with live streaming, whispered among themselves while staring at the screen.
Then, Cha Yu-jin’s face brightened as he shouted.
[Oh, the numbers appeared!]
[Ah!]
[Hello~!]
Watching the real-time comments flood in an instant, the TeSTAR members beamed, bowing their heads and waving at the camera.
“Hi… Hello!”
The university student instinctively waved back at the screen as she watched Park Moon-dae bow.
The dog lying on her bed looked at her as if she were out of her mind, but she didn't have the luxury to care.
‘I couldn’t even go to the fansign, so I have to at least watch the W Live…!’
Scheduled to enter graduate school after graduating this fall, she—unlike her fansite master friend—couldn't find any time at the end of June. Consequently, she had to bid a tearful farewell to the fansign.
‘I even thought about breaking my savings account….’
Her heart ached even as her friend tried to comfort her over text, asking why she couldn't spend money even when she had it. It was because she had heard in far too much detail exactly what Moon-dae had done at the fansign….
‘I’ll just… go see him when Moon-dae has blonde hair.’
She muttered that she wanted her first time seeing him in person to be with his blonde hair, focusing on the screen. It was a sad attempt at self-justification….
[The reason we’re greeting you through W Live today is… because we are finally announcing the official name for our fans.]
[Wooooo!]
At Ryu Cheong-woo’s words, TeSTAR clapped and cheered enthusiastically.
Moon-dae was clapping too, but because he hadn't rolled up his oversized sleeves, the fabric flapped around with every movement.
“So cute…!”
Thinking she was talking to him, the dog perked up its ears, but soon realized it wasn't the case and turned its grumpy eyes away from the student.
On the screen, comments were flying by.
Since it was still the very beginning, most comments were just fans pouring out whatever came to mind.
TeSTAR looked like they wanted to read them, but the text moved too fast. Instead, they just smiled brightly, having at least confirmed there were a lot of hearts.
[Nice to meet you, everyone~!]
[We missed you so much~ What is everyone doing? It’s 3 PM on a weekend, so it’s the perfect time for a snack~]
[I want a snack!]
As soon as Cha Yu-jin finished speaking, a staff member behind the smartphone camera signaled: ‘We’ll bring you some, so please just stick to the script for the opening.’
It seemed they were worried that rookies doing their first W Live might go off on a tangent during the opening.
Seeing the staff look like they were about to wave a white flag, the members naturally patted Cha Yu-jin and pulled him back.
[Haha, shall we check what we’ve prepared first?]
[Yes!]
As TeSTAR stepped back from the camera, a desk set up behind them came into view. The desk, covered in white cloths, was lumpy, making it obvious to anyone that something was underneath.
The comments were a chaotic mix of questions, personal inquiries, and even hate comments, but fortunately, TeSTAR couldn't read them because they were standing too far from the screen.
Since anyone could enter the stream, the real-time comments were a total mess.
The university student gritted her teeth.
‘I need to report all those haters…!’
But they scrolled past so quickly she could barely even spot them.
Praying that Moon-dae would stay at a distance where he couldn't read the comments, she focused on TeSTAR again.
[What we’re introducing today is… Ta-da! The lightstick designs we drew ourselves!]
[Whoa!]
As they pulled back the first white cloth on the desk, a stack of panels with each member's name on them was revealed.
The members excitedly clapped and handed the panels to their respective owners.
[We each made one, and today, with you all as witnesses, we’re going to select one of these through a discussion!]
[We worked really hard on the drawings!]
[We haven't even seen each other's drawings yet.]
[A world premiere!]
“…….”
The student kept her mouth shut.
Moon-dae, holding his panel with both hands, was adorable. However, her insides were fuming.
‘The agency really doesn't listen…!’
She had told them not to make the fans vote, but it was absurd that they were making the TeSTAR members vote among themselves instead.
‘If the kids say they want to do something like this, you should just collect their ideas and come up with a design yourselves…!’
As someone who was a fan of idols for the first time, the frustrating situation made her feel faint.
Could it be that the concept presentation in episode 2 of the reality show, during the title track production, was also forced on them like this? Was it not something TeSTAR had challenged themselves to do?
A strong suspicion flashed through her mind.
However, since the Park Moon-dae moving in real-time right before her eyes was the priority, her gaze returned to the screen.
[Now then, shall we reveal the drawings one by one and hear the explanations?]
[Sounds good!]
[Starting from the right~]
Ryu Cheong-woo, who was sitting on the far right, looked a bit embarrassed, but he peeled off the tape and revealed his drawing in one go.
And what was inside… was a drawing of a ball made of mysterious lines.
[……?]
[…?!]
[Hyung, this is… a lightstick, right?]
[Pfft.]
A few members buried their heads in their laps as they realized the situation. It was to stop themselves from bursting into laughter.
Ryu Cheong-woo ended up laughing as well.
[Haha, I’m not very good at drawing. Um, I thought it would be nice if a round cheering tool like this… had grooves for your fingers, making it easy to grip and wave over your head.]
[Ooh.]
[So instead of a wand shape, it’s a round shape like a baseball!]
[A circle would be pretty if it sparkles.]
The drawing was poor, but the presentation was good, so everyone nodded while holding back their laughter.
After that, TeSTAR continued the conversation by picking out only the good parts of each member's design and focusing on compliments.
This wasn't a matter where their personal opinions had to be reflected; as long as the final product turned out pretty, it didn't matter which way they went.
[A-hyun’s drawing looks like a magic wand, so it’s pretty.]
[T-thank you.]
[Since we are… Magical Boys… we use a magic wand as a lightstick…? That’s convincing!]
[It has narrative consistency!]
Of course, overly unrealistic suggestions were naturally ignored.
[Since the purpose of a lightstick is to create another way for fans to enjoy the stage, how about making it sound like maracas when you shake it?]
[That’s an interesting idea.]
[Rae-bin, but wouldn't that make it hard to hear our voices?]
[Gasp.]
Kim Rae-bin was sunk just three minutes into his presentation.
Although comments like "eng plz" or "they're throwing shade" appeared occasionally, most fans watching were smiling warmly at the screen.
The university student was the same. Before she knew it, she was hugging her dog and grinning at the screen.
‘Now it’s Moon-dae’s turn!’
[Now… Moon-dae is…… Oh?]
On the screen, Park Moon-dae silently peeled off the tape and turned the drawing toward the camera.
Two majestic black sticks were drawn on it.
Up to that point, it was fine. There were plenty of lightsticks in that style.
The problem was the traces of attempts to draw various things around them.
Every single one of them was so horribly drawn that they looked like some kind of bizarre amoebas.
[…??]
And Park Moon-dae spoke with a face that looked like he had given up on everything.
[…That’s how it turned out.]
In an instant, explosive laughter took over the audio.
[Pwahahahaha!!]
[Moon-dae’s drawing has the most impact!]
[You… draw even worse than Cheong-woo-hyung!!]
The members, forgetting their concept of using formal speech, laughed like crazy while peering at the drawing. Even Seon A-hyun was holding back laughter with a beet-red face.
The university student also burst out laughing.
It was half hilarity and half fan-love.
‘Moon-dae must be really bad at drawing…!’
But the traces of his hard work were so cute her heart felt like it would explode!
[Ah, sorry for laughing!]
[Right, we should hear Moon-dae’s explanation too!]
[……Well, it’s fine.]
Moon-dae on the screen cleared his throat a few times, then pointed at the drawing and began to explain point by point.
[First… the exterior looks like a baseball bat.]
[Mhm, mhm.]
[But if you twist and remove the handle, I’d like a magic wand to come out from inside.]
[—!!]
[That’s fresh!]
[I like it!]
Everyone started getting excited, saying it reminded them of the magic sword toys they used to play with as kids.
[Then how about we use A-hyun’s design for our magic wand?]
[Let’s put Cheong-woo-hyung’s circle in the middle!]
[Make the bat separation one-touch!]
The production cost was skyrocketing, but no one cared.
As a result, something like an ultra-super-duper magic toy was being created.
TeSTAR even asked for a pen from off-camera and started drawing a new lightstick together, adding various elements.
As they did, it naturally began to be compared to Park Moon-dae’s original drawing.
[Wait, so this thing here was the magic wand, Moon-dae?]
[……Yes.]
Keun Se-jin burst into laughter again upon seeing the shape that looked like a shriveled-up pretzel.
Park Moon-dae eventually covered his face with one hand and pushed his drawing to the edge of the table.
“Aww….”
The sight was so pitiful and cute that the prospective graduate student finally started leaving real-time comments. She wasn't the only one; the comments were lagging due to the heavy traffic.
Foreign languages flashed by in between.
A flood of comments poured down, so many that it was impossible to tell what was what.
Meanwhile, on the screen, the new lightstick design, completed after much trial and error, was being displayed.
[Ta-da!]
[The lightstick concept drawing is decided!]
[Wooooo!!]
It was a masterpiece of rising costs that would likely overwhelm the production team the moment they received it, but it did look plausible.
It was thanks to incorporating only the sensible ideas.
For the record, Park Moon-dae took his drawing back after the members repeatedly told him it was "fine."
Still, he seemed happy that the lightstick design was finished, as a small smile played on his face while he clapped.
‘…Black hair is nice too.’
Whether it was black hair or blonde hair, she finally admitted that she really had to see him in person….
The members on the screen cleared away their drawings and moved in a group toward a part of the desk still covered by a white cloth.
[Now, the long-awaited announcement remains.]
[It’s the announcement of our fandom name!]
Saying they had decided on this together as well, the members, looking slightly nervous, reached out toward the cloth.
[Drumroll, please!]
[Reveal!]
And together, they lifted the cloth and threw it back.
“……??”